Techniques for generating a synthesized image with an extended dynamic range from a group of images are known. According to these techniques, a low-resolution image and a high-resolution image obtained under different exposure conditions are synthesized after correcting for positional shifts in the images. Such techniques are described in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2008-181196.
These techniques for generating a synthesized image may vary in their complexity, in the amount of processing time they require, and in the level of quality in the images that they produce. Typically, techniques which require more processing time produce higher-quality and more reliable results, while faster techniques may produce lower-quality results. Current technologies, however, do not adequately distinguish between when faster techniques or slower techniques should be used, and synthesis techniques may be used that are inappropriate for the requirements of a given context. Accordingly, new technologies are required that address these shortcomings of the current techniques.